Belkin infringement ruling reversed

14 September 2007 — Compton (CA): The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has reversed a May 2004 finding of infringement by Belkin with respect to a laptop computer lock patent held by ACCO Brands division Kensington.

Belkin appealed the 2004 decision by the US District Court for the Eastern District of Texas to the Federal Circuit, arguing that the jury’s findings of induced infringement and willful infringement were not supported by substantial evidence. Belkin also contended that the jury award of damages was unsupported by substantial evidence and that the district court abused its discretion by awarding Kensington enhanced damages and attorney fees.

However, the Federal Circuit has now agreed with Belkin on each of these points, and said that "ACCO failed to prove the threshold requirement of direct infringement" and "failed to point to specific instances of direct infringement".